Improved skimming attachment for sugar-evaporators



J. F. RIGGS.

Skimmer for Evaporating Pans.

No; 43,743. Ptemed Aug. 2', 1864...

N. PETERS. Pb aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa D C UNrTnn Starts APATENT Erica.

JOHN FINDLEY RIGGS, OF FREMONT, NEBR'ASKA TERRITORY, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND S. G. DAILY.

IMPROVED SKIMMING ATTACHM ENT FOR SUGAR-EVAPORATORS.

Specification fornn'ng part of Letters Patent No. 413,7/13, dated August 2, 1864.

r'o all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J oHN FINDLEY RIGGs, of Fremont, in the county of Dodge and Territory of N ebraska, have invented a new and bImproved Skimming Attachment for Evaporators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specifi-cation, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved skimmer. Fig. 2 illustrates a manner of Operating the same by steam or other power.

Similar letters of -referenc'e indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

The subject of my said invcntion is a novel and improved skimming attachment, applicable to evaporators of any form, by which seum may be readily and effectually removed from the sirup during theboiling process, and (if desired) that portion of it which is worthless separated from that which is useful, in order that the latter may be returned to the pan and resubmitted to the evaporating process, as will be hereinafter fully explained.

In order that others skilled in the art to which my invcntion appertains may be enabled to fully understand and use the same, I will proceed to describe its construction-and operation.

In the aceompanying drawings, A may represent an eva-porating-pan of any suitable construction, formed with sloping sides, as shown, to facilitate the skimming Operation.

B B represent uprights rising from the opposite ends of the pan/A, and supporting a rod, O, which is rigidly inserted into the upper ends of said uprights.

D D E E F F represent a series of levers, which are pivoted or loosely hung in couples upon the rod O, and attached at their respective lower ends to rigid rods G G.

H may represent a series of levers somewhat shorter than the levers D E F, .and pivoted upon the rods G, with their upper ends occupying slots d in the lower ends of the several levers D E F.

To the inner and lower ends of the levers H are attached the skimmcrs I I, which may be formed of suitable strips of wood, having niches in their lower ends to adapt them to Work between the partitions iirthe evaporating-pan.

J J represent toggle-levers attached to the upper ends of the levers E E.

K represents a lever, which may be fulcrumed by means of a rod, K, adapted to be hooked over the rod C. By this lever K it is designed to opera-te the skimmers II by hand, byvbea'ring down upon the toggle-levers J J, as will be eXplained.

As shown in Fig. 27, the apparatus is adapted to be readily operated by steam or other power by the employment ofa shaft, L, upon the end of which is mounted a cam, L', of any suitable form, which cam may be so attached to either of the toggles J that the rotation of the shaft L will cause the cam to press down said toggles and operate the skimmers in the manner to be described.

M represents a cord or chain s'uspended from the toggle-levers J J, and sustaining the inner ends of rods N N, which are jointed together at a, and attached at their other ends to the lowerfends of the levers E by means of suitable hinges, these rods being employed to .limit the movement of the skimmers I I.

O O represent cords or chains, attached at their respective ends to the rods N N and skimmers I I. These cords O O prevent the skimmers from penetrating too deep, and cause them to move in a direct horizontal plane'across the pan A.

On each side of the evaporatorA is formed a trough, P, which is divided into two com-4 partments, P' PZ, by a partition, PE.

Operation: The togglc-levers J J being pressed down in either of the methods described, the levers D E F are expanded or turned outward, so that each is made to describe the are of a circle, wherebythe upper ends of the levers H are both elevated slightly 4 and drawnaway from the center of the evaporating-pan A. As the levers Hare pivoted, as before explained, their lower ends have a natural tendency to fall or descend as their upper ends are elevated by the movement of the levers D E F; but they are caused to maintain a uniform or unchangeable position with relation to the pan A by the rods N N and cords O O, the jointed ends of said rods being adapted to descend in such gradual manner, as

the levers D E F are expanded, that the distance between the points of the rods N. N, at whi'ch the cords O O are fastened, and the lower ends of the levers H will remain unaltered during the movement of the various levers until the skimmers .I I come in contact with the sloping sides of the pan A. ,It will be seen from the above description that by this arrangement of devices the skimmers act upon the liquid being evaporated with equal effectiyeness throughout-the enti-re pan. When the skininiers reach the sloping sides of the pan A, the cords O O slack, the levers H turn upon their pivots, and the skimmers are thereby allowed to ascend in close proximity to the .said sides and deposit the scum which they have gathered into the trou'ghs P. The

juice is poured into the pan A at one end, and

process. Thus it will be seen that when the skimmers are put in Operation the worthless or green scum may be removed as fast as thrown to the surface and deposited into the trough P', and that the good or yellow scum may at the same time be removed and deposited into the trough 132, whenceit may be'returned to the evaporating-pan.

Having thusdescribed my invention, the following is what I clairn as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

--1. The skimmers I I, operated by a lever,

cam, or other suitable deviee through the medium of pivoted levers D E FH .I J,.substantially in the manner and for. the purposes herein set forth.

2. The cords M O O and hinged wires or rods N N, arranged, substantially as described, and operating'to cause the skimmers to move in an exact plane across the face of the liquid being evaporated, as explained.

3. The parutioned tmugh P P' 132 PB, em-

ployed for separating the useful from the worthless scum, substantially as described.

J OHN FINDLEY RIGGS.

Witn esses:

It. H. MAYHEW, O. L. DU BoIs. 

